Handcrafted Sustainability

What we do makes a difference and we have to decide what kind of difference we want to make. Sustainable fashion might just be the solution.

- Chitman Kanwar Ahuja

A London College of Fashion, UK graduate, Karishma Shahani Khan founded her eponymous label, Ka-Sha in 2012. Inspired by India’s culture and heritage, she re-interprets her designs as functional, contemporary fashion.

Sustainability is a key focus in her work and is not just limited to the use of natural fibres. With a strict no-waste policy, she upcycles the waste from one line and reinvents them as patchwork jackets, footwear and rugs for her ‘Heart to Haat’ initiative, as well as accessories for her collection.

We speak to her as she unravels her love for design, keen eye for a greener future and her endless romance with handicrafts.

Edited Excerpts:

Launching a label soon after graduation, what made you take such a risk?

I had been studying for a long time and wanted to put things into a more practical perspective. For me fashion has always been a way of portraying my emotions on textile. And luckily, it happened very organically, I finished college, participated in a show and that’s how I went forward with the entire process.

From London to the Indian market, how difficult was the transition?

It was a difficult transition. But I believe that we in India, are a little behind in the world of design. People do not take the business and education of fashion seriously here, so it often becomes limiting. As a designer I wanted to provide a different perspective to people, and try to instill the belief that fashion has different connotations for everyone. It’s about creating clothing that helps people be more comfortable in their own skin.